Traffic signal



March 31, 1925 1,531,719 B. c. SMITH ET AL TRAFFI C S IGNAL Filed June15, 1923 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 D, O. Smith). T-H. Chandlqr,

March 31. 1925.

B. c. SMITH ET AL TRAFFIC SI Filed June 13, 1923 2 Sheets-Sheet 2-smirn.

H OMMW,

umna? Pumas M...- 31, 1925.

UNITED STATES -PATENT orrlce."

BERT SMITH AND THOMAS H. CHANDLER, LONG BEACH, CALIFORNIA.

TRAFFIC SIGNAL.

Application filed June 13, 1923. Serial No. 645,163.

To (ZZZ whom it may concern Be it known that we, BERT C. SMITH and 4'fiIoMAs H. CHANDLER, citizens of the United States, residing at LongBeach, in the county of Los Angeles and State of California, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Trafiio Signals, ofwhich the following is a specification.

This invention relates to an improved traiiic signal for motor vehiclesand seeks, us one of its principal objects, to provide a device of thischaracter whereby a driver may, without exertion or inconvenience,readily signal an intention to stop or to turn either to the right orleft.

The invention seeks, as a further object, to provide a device embodyinga pivoted signal arm and wherein means will be provided for swingingsaid arm by engine suction.

Another object of the invention is to provide a device wherein themovement of the signs} arm may be quickly and accurately controlled andwherein the use of springs in conjunction with the arm will beeliminated.

And the invention seeks, as a still further object, to provide a deviceembodying signal lights, one for each of the difi'erent s1gnalingpositions of the arm, and wherein the proper light will be energizedwhen the signal arm is swung to any one of its signaling positions.

Other and incidental objects will appear hereinafter.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a. perspective view showing our improved signal applied to amotor vehiole of conventional design,

Figure 2 is an enlarged sectional view,

parts being shown in elevation,

Figure 3 is a detail sectional view on the line 3 3 of Figure 2, lookingin the direction of the arrows,

Figure 4 is a detail sectional view on the line H of Figure 2, lookingin the direction of the arrows, and

Figure 5 is a detail plan view of the control valve employed.

Figure 6 is a sectional view of the control valve.

In carrying the invention into effect, we employ a suction cylinder 10closed at its upper end by a cap 11 and provided at its lower endportion with vertically spaced ports indicated for convenience at 12, 13and 1% respectively. Slidable in the cylinder 1s Journaled bepulley 20having, as shown in Figure 3, a

hub 21, and extending through said hub and through the arms is a pin 22rotatably supporting the pulley. Secured at one end to the pulley is acable 'or other suitable fiexible element 23, the opposite end of whichis attached to the upper extremity of the piston rod 16 and formed onthe pulley at one side thereof is a laterally directed annular flange24: through which is threaded a tubular signal arm 25 which Willnormally gravitate downwardly to vertical position for rotating thepulley and elevatlng the piston within the cylinder 10. Threaded uponthe arm 25 at its outer end is a sectorshaped lamp casing 26 in whichare mounted with the lamps 27, 28 and 29 are wires 33 extending throughthe signal arm. Mounted between the arms of the bracket 18 is a spacingblock '34 receiving the bolt 19 therethrough. This spacing block issuitably insulated with respect to said bolt as well as with respect tothe bracket and is formed at its lower end with a binding post 35 whileat its upper end said block is provided with a spring tongue 36 bearingagainst the flange 24 of the pulley for engagement with the contacts 30,31 and 32 selectively. Connected to the binding post 35 is a feed wire37 leading from the battery or other suitable source of electricalenergy upon the vehicle. n

Mounted upon the steering post of the vehicle close beneath the steeringwheel is a four-way control valve having a casing 38 and surroundingsaid casing is a clamping strap 39 connecting the valve with thesteering post. Rotatable in the casing is a tapered core 40 having anupstanding stem "cap is a tion of the driver to stop. Coincidently,

'41 and rotatably fitting over'the upper end of the casing is a cap 42receiving said stem therethrough. The stem is formed with a sguaredportion to coact with the top wall '0 the cap so that the cap mayberotated for turnin the core and projecting from the andle. 43 disposedto cooperate with a segment 44 carried by the strap 39. Threaded uponthe stem 41 at its upper end is a nut 45 securing the cap againstupwardly displacement and bearing between the cap and the upper edge ofthe casing is a spring 46 holding the core seated. Formed in the valvecore is. a passage 47 and extending between said passage and the intakemanifold of the vehicle engine is a suction pipe 48 which may beconnected in any appropriate manner to said manifold to communicatetherewith. Leading from the valve casing to the ports 12, 13 and 14 ofthe cylinder 10 are pipes 49, 50 and 51 andformed in the valve core toopen downwardl through the lower end thereof is an air ini et passage 52which, when the valve is closed, will communicate with the pipe 51.

As will now be seen in view of the foregoing, the lever 40 of the valvemay be swung for establishing communication between the pipe 48 and thepipe 49, for instance, municated to the cylinder 10 at the port 12 sothat the piston 15 will be drawn downwardly until the piston covers saidport, at which point the piston will be held by the suction. When thepiston is thus drawn downwardly, the pulley 20 will, of course, berotated and the arm 25 swung upwardly to the lowermost dotted lineposition indicated in Figure 1, for signaling an inteln t e contact 30will be moved to a position beneath the tongue 36 so that the lamp 27will be energized, assuming of course, that a circuit is closed throughthe feed wire 37. This circuit will preferably be controlled by asuitable switch. For signaling an intention to turn to the left, thevalve is opened to establish communication between the ipe 48 and pipe50 will e dra'wn downwardly to the level of the port 13 of the cylinder10. This movement of the piston will serve to swing the signal arm tohorizontal position when the contact 31 will be moved beneath the tongue36 so that the lamp 28 will be energized. Sim ilarly, for signaling anintention to turn to the right, the valve is rotated to establishcommunication between the pipe 48 and the pipe 51 when the piston 15will be drawn when engine suction will be comwhen the piston 15downwardly the cylinder 10. This movement of the .piston will serve toswing the signal arm to the uppermost dotted line position shown inFigure 1, when the contact 32 will be moved beneath the tongue 36 forenergizing the lamp 29. Thus, one of-the signal lamps will be energizedat each of the signaling positions of the signal arm and, preferably,

the lamps. will be of different color so that at night the position ofthe signal arm may be determined by observing the particular color ofthe light displayed.

After the signal arm has been swung to any one of its positions and thevalve is closed, air will be admitted to the cylinder 10through thepassage 52 of the valve for relieving the partial vacuum beneath thepiston 15 so that the signal arm may in mediately drop.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

1. In a direction signal for motor vehicles, a bracket including spacedarms formed at their inner ends to embrace the frame of a windshield, aspacer interposed between the inner end portions of the arms, meansextending through the arms and said spacer clamping the arms inengagement with the windshield frame, a pulley journaled between theouter ends of the arms, a signal arm mounted upon said pulley, .aflexible element cooperating with the pulley, and a suction operatedpiston havin said flexible element connected thereto and operable forrotating the pulley and swinging the signal arm.

2. In a direction signal for motor vehicles,

a bracket including spaced arms formed at their inner ends to embrace awindshield frame, means extending through the arms clamping the arms inengagement with said frame, a pulley disposed between the outer ends ofthe arms and provided with a hub elongated at one side of the pulleyspacing the outer ends of the arms apart, a pin extending through saidhub and through the arms journaling the pulley, the pulley being formedat said side thereof with a peripheral flange overhanging the elongatedto the level of the port'14 of portion of the hub in concentricrelation, a

radial signal arm fixed at its inner end to said flange, and meansengaged with the pulley for rotating said pulley and swinging the signalarm.

In testimony whereof we affix our signatures.

BERT 0. SMITH. [L.s.] THOMAS H. CHANDLER. a 5.

